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Feeding peonies after flowering is necessary for every gardener who breeds them in his backyard. This is done because to obtain lush greenery and beautiful buds, nutrients are required that are not always present in the composition of the soil. The plant should be provided with a complex of minerals three times per season, and the last time it is better to feed the peonies in October. It is not advisable to neglect the procedure, this can adversely affect the condition and appearance of the culture.
Peony bloom lasts no more than 2-3 weeks
The need to feed peonies after flowering
The herbaceous perennial decorates the flower beds with fragrant flowers for a short time, the maximum period is 2-3 weeks. After flowering, the petals fall off, the inflorescences dry up. Culture at this time spends a lot of energy, and in order for it to please with an abundant number of buds and exude a delicate aroma next year, it is necessary to bring it back to normal. To do this, gardeners feed peonies in August.
In the first half of the month, it is enough to add mullein diluted with water, or an infusion of wood ash in a ratio of 1:10. Also, after flowering, it is useful to treat the soil with superphosphate diluted in 10 liters of water (25 g) and potassium sulfate (12 g). Solutions must be poured into the grooves made around the base of the bush.
For the prevention of fungal diseases, you can feed peonies with preparations containing copper, for example, Borodos liquid and tableted microelement complexes.
Types of fertilizer for peonies in the fall
Autumn top dressing of peonies for the winter involves the use of organic or mineral fertilizers. For good nutrition, it is better to use them together:
- In early autumn, before pruning, the culture must be fed with minerals.
- After pruning – animal and plant organic matter.
After flowering, many people use folk remedies for plant nutrition, the effectiveness of which has long been proven in practice.
If nitrogenous fertilizers are added to the soil in autumn, provoking the development of green mass, then the flower, instead of preparing for winter, will expend energy on growth, weaken and even die.
Fertilizers should not fall into the middle of the rhizome
Terms of feeding peonies in the fall towards the winter
Autumn top dressing of peonies and preparation for winter should be carried out at a certain time. After flowering – in late August or early September and before winter – until the second half of October. Fertilizers are applied taking into account climatic conditions and the age of the flowers. The last time they need to be fed 30 days before the arrival of frost.
If you plan to start breeding, then the procedure must be completed in the first half of September. So the root system will have time to get stronger before the cold weather.
Top dressing is carried out in stages:
- In August – after flowering.
- In early September – before pruning.
- In mid-September (October) – after pruning.
How to fertilize peonies in autumn
Of the minerals, after flowering, it is best to feed the perennial:
- potassium magnesia – 20 g;
- superphosphate – 30 g;
- potassium monophosphate – 50 g;
- potassium sulfate – 20 g.
The dosage is used per square meter of soil.
From organic fertilizers in the fall, they usually use:
- bone meal 150 g – sprinkle under a bush and dig in;
- humus / compost 8 kg – mulch the ground under the leaves;
- wood ash 200 g – sprinkle around the stems or pour in the form of a solution.
From proven folk remedies, you can feed:
- tea leaves – 100 g;
- coffee grounds – 150 ml;
- rye infusion – 1 l;
- eggshell – 500 ml;
- banana peel flour – 200 g.
How to feed peonies in the fall when transplanting, planting
Once every 5 years, for abundant flowering and rejuvenation, the plant needs to be transplanted. It is desirable to carry out these actions after flowering, in September, to feed peonies during the procedure in order to provide them with substances responsible for development and growth. It is desirable to fertilize the place for planting or transplanting with superphosphate. In addition, it is worth putting a mixture of three parts of compost and one part of wood ash into each hole.
Top dressing can be combined with transplanting or pruning
How to feed peonies after pruning
Before snow falls, the part of the crop above the ground must be cut off, and the bare buds at the base of the stems should be spudded. Fertilize the bush, sprinkle the cut points on top with ash.
It is desirable to feed peonies in the fall after pruning with organic matter rich in various components. Vegetable compost or manure is perfect for this. You just need to put the composition around the stems and leave it to rot on its own. Thus, the plant will receive a dosed amount of nutrients and will be protected from freezing, since heat is released during the decomposition of manure. As an additive, you can use a mixture of bone meal and ash in a ratio of 2: 3. Also, many gardeners, after pruning peonies, are advised to feed them with the Baikal EM-1 preparation, bread infusion, banana or potato peel, onion peel, whey and nettle.
Fertilize peonies a month before frost.
How to fertilize peonies in the fall before winter, before shelter
Peonies have high frost resistance, many varieties can withstand temperatures down to -40 °C. For this reason, adult bushes are not dug up and covered for the winter, although experienced flower growers still recommend protecting the crop from frost with sawdust, pine spruce branches, old compost or peat.
Before shelter, the plant must be fed with any organic fertilizer that will create a good supply of nutrition in the soil and root. Its advantage lies in its rich composition, which includes potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, as well as beneficial bacteria.
Before winter, a solution of rye bread or eggshells is well suited. To prepare such a tincture, it is necessary to grind the loaf of the product, pour the crumbs into 10 liters of water, insist for 12 hours. Pour the finished fertilizer under the bush in the amount of 1 liter. To make an egg tincture, you need to soak the shells of 3 eggs in a bucket of water for 20 days. Then carry out watering at the rate of half a liter per bush.
Immediately before shelter, compost, humus, manure and dry tree leaves should be scattered on the surface of the earth. Nothing needs to be buried in the ground.
Before mulching, the soil can be sprinkled with wood ash or bone meal, the main thing is not to get on the neck of the plant.
Rules for the autumn feeding of peonies
Basically, the rules for feeding peonies for the winter depend on their age and the climate of the growing region. In autumn, only those plants that have been growing for 3 years or more need to be fed. Moreover, the older the flower, the more useful elements it needs. Young bushes after flowering do not need additional fertilizer before winter. It is also worth noting that if the autumn is dry, then it is better to dilute the potassium-phosphate compounds with water according to the instructions and water the roots with them. A liter of solution per bush will be enough. In rainy weather, it is wise to use granular top dressing, which will enter the ground gradually. They are scattered in the trunk circle, lightly sprinkled with soil.
The type of fertilizer that you can feed the bushes in the fall is chosen depending on the composition of the soil:
- For slightly acidic and alkaline soils, it is better to use superphosphate.
- Organics and green manure are more suitable for depleted and sandy soils, since an excess amount of minerals can cause growth inhibition.
Peonies respond equally well to both mineral and organic fertilizers.
Conclusion
Feeding peonies after flowering is not difficult even for a novice gardener. The main thing is to clearly follow all the recommendations and follow the rules. Peonies are a perennial unpretentious plant that is enough to plant once and, with proper care, enjoy its flowering for several seasons.
